All outdoor watering has been banned in South Berwick for the time being due to the heat and drought conditions.
The South Berwick Water District declared a water emergency Tuesday that prohibits its customers from watering lawns and gardens, washing vehicles and trailers, and filling swimming pools.
Water District Superintendent Ryan Lynch said water resources have been stressed to keep up with the increased demand created by long-term dry conditions and continued high heat advisories.
“I know this is going to be difficult, especially for those with gardens, but we need to reduce consumption so everyone has enough water,” Lynch said.
“With increasingly warmer weather and the long-term (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) precipitation index, we have to continually search for ways to bring new supplies online and investigate new resources,” he added.
More than a third of Maine, mostly in the southwest and Down East portions of the state, is seeing abnormally dry conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
“Summers keep getting warmer, with less rain, so we haven’t fully recovered from the drought of 2022 and we know that even a return to normal rainfall will not make up the current deficit,” Lynch said. “We need good, steady rain over a prolonged period.”
A recent nearly 24-hour rain shower wound up as runoff without soaking deep into the ground, he noted.
The outdoor water ban in South Berwick applies to sprinklers, irrigation systems and ornamental fountains that use continuous water flow devices; and it extends beyond residential uses to the washing of streets, sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, service station aprons, office and apartments buildings, and any other outdoor surfaces.
In past water emergencies, citizens have adapted by watering plants with recycled water from showers, hand washing and dishwashing. Some residents may purchase water or use water collected previously in rain barrels to water their most valuable plants.
Lynch urged Water District customers to conserve water indoors as well.
“Since much of the water usage in the home occurs in the bathroom, we are asking you to take shorter showers, turn off the tap during teeth brushing, and efficiently flush,” he said.
Hand washing can be more efficient by turning off the faucet when lathering hands, he suggested, and water use is decreased further by either hand washing dishes or making sure the dishwasher is full, and running washing machines at full capacity.
With indoor conservation and the outdoor water use ban, the district hopes to reduce water usage by at least 10%, or about one million gallons per month or 34,000 gallons per day, Lynch said.
Prolonged dry conditions have delayed the district’s efforts to activate a new well in the Blackmore fields, but Lynch said the district hopes the well will be on line by the end of the week.
“We thank our customers for their patience and cooperation.”
